Kendermage's True 20 War of the Darklance Campaign Journal

[SimonCollins]

Welcome to the campaign journal for Kendermage’s True 20 War of the Darklance campaign. I’ve said to Kendermage I’ll start the ball rolling, but since this is the first campaign journal I’ve ever done, any constructive criticism is gratefully accepted.

Before I get to the journal, some of you may wish to know a little bit about the background to the campaign:

True 20
True 20 is a simplified version of the d20 rules. Some of the ways in which it differs from its parent are as follows:
- Ability scores in True 20 are equal to d20’s ability modifiers (so an 18 Strength in d20 would be a +4 Strength in True 20)
- There are only three roles (equivalent to d20 classes) - Warrior, Adept and Expert, but they are more flexible than the d20 classes
- Instead of class features, characters have four starting feats and then gain one feat per level
- Magic works similarly to the d20 skill system
- There are no hit points – instead, characters suffer damage conditions that penalise future performance

War of the Darklance
This is the setting of Kendermage’s campaign and is influenced by the alternate Krynn outlined by Dragonhelm (Trampas) in the Legends of the Twins setting companion. In this setting, Chaos is never released. The Knights of Takhisis have conquered most of Ansalon in the years where the Chaos War ocurred in the standard timeline, an unseasonable cold covers most of the continent, the Dark Knights are corrupting stolen dragonlances, and the heroes are left to counter what appears to be unstoppable doom.

Next, the heroes of the campaign…

[SimonCollins]

OK, as should be obvious from the title, this campaign is Kendermage's - so he's the Narrator (True 20 speak for GM).

The characters are as follows:

Kiaz
Race/Role: Male Lightning Draconian Warrior 1
This lightning draconian was 'born' into slavery to act as cannon fodder for the White Dragonarmy as they assaulted the ice barbarians in the far south of Ansalon. Escaping from the inhuman cruelty of his ogre slavemaster with his friend Martok, the two sought a quiet place to hide just outside the village of Stone Rose.

Martok
Race/Role: Male Minotaur Warrior 1
This grizzled minotaur, sold into service as a slave for the White Dragonarmy during Chot's political overthrow of the minotaur empire, has a missing eye and many scars from his repeated escape attempts from the dragonarmy. Eventually he was successful, and found peace in a small hut outside the village of Stone Rose, honing his skills as a woodsman.

Mordarby
Race/Role: Male Human Adept 1
Son of a Knight of the Crown in Palanthas, this young red robe wizard ended up working for Jenna as an errand-boy in her magic shop after his father was killed. After an attack by Thorn Knights on Palanthas, Mordarby fled south, constantly pursued by a mysterious man called Uther Gravescorned. At the end of his flight, he finds himself exhausted and penniless in Stone Rose, taken in by an elderly couple.

Rhiarion
Race/Role: Male Qualinesti Elf Warrior 1
This Qualinesti Elf has left his homeland and his people behind him, embittered by the lack of loyalty of the Qualinesti and the devastation wrought by the dragonarmies on his homeland. He has settled in Stone Rose to enjoy the pleasures of life and to hide his pain and anger, symbolised by wrapping himself deep within his clothes.

Darkeyes
Race/Role: Male Kagonesti Elf Adept 1
Born with a congenital eye defect, this Kagonesti Elf's sight is vulnerable to sunlight but exceptionally sharp at night. He was taken as a slave from Cristyne by the ogres of Daltigoth and forced to fight in the gladiatorial arenas in the ogre city. Escaping in one of the trading ships sent east, he received a visionary dream of a stone garden and followed rumours to the village of Stone Rose, where his strange powers began to awaken.

Next, the beginning of the campaign...

[Raistlinrox]

Cool, I've haven't seen any campaign journals for the alternate timelines yet, nor have I tried any myself. I'll be eagerly anticipating this story!

[SimonCollins]

The raid came in the darkest depths of the night. Whilst the village of Stone Rose slept, goblin forces smashed its meagre defences and poured into its streets in a flood of screaming war-cries. The once-dark streets soon glowed from the light of torched buildings and the quiet village rang with the cries of screaming innocents.

Around the town, tableaux of resistance played out against the backdrop of fire and blood:

A young red robe mage wields magic of dream and imagination to allow him to escape the clutches of the raiders, only to be forced to surrender when the hobgoblin leader threatens to execute the elderly couple that looked after him in his time of need. The three are marched off into the desert to become slaves...

A brave Qualinesti swashbuckler stands against the raiders as they smash into his house, but is cut down and left for dead as the house is torched. With a huge burst of effort, the elf manages to pull himself out of the window of the house before it collapses around him. As the leader of the raider group steps over him to finish his life, a sword-wielding figure leaps forward to save the elf's life...

But the goblins spread out, discovering the mystical stone garden and a remote hut on the outskirts of the town:

A Kagonesti elf is disturbed from his slumber by goblins about to hack at the beautiful stone roses in the gardens. The leader attacks as the elf tries to stop them desecrating the area. With a well-placed arrow, the Kagonesti ends the goblin's life, but not before the elf has a few heart-stopping moments where he began to suspect the goblin was undead. Thankfully, the arrow proves his fears to be unfounded. Tracking the goblins back towards their camp, the Kagonesti encounters the red-robed mage and the elderly couple being herded back to the goblin's camp - the elderly man cannot stand the pace of his enforced march and collapses, clutching at his heart. A strange power surges through the Kagonesti as he suggests to the hobgoblin leader that the prisoners are sick and the group should return to the camp quickly before daylight, leaving the prisoners. The hobgoblin obediently leads the raiders off into the night...

In the remote hut, a grizzled minotaur is roused by the raiders smashing down the door. Still groggy from his deep sleep, the hobgoblin leader manages to overcome the minotaur's slowed defenses and the minotaur collapses in a pool of blood. A lightning draconian leaps from the shadows in defense of his comrade, cutting down the hobgoblin leader after trading a few blows. The rest of the raiders flee in the face of the draconian's fury. The draconian tends his friend's wounds when the minotaur wakes, but can do nothing to save the burned breakfast...

[SimonCollins]

As dawn broke over the village of Stone Rose, the inhabitants milled around the ruined buildings, seeking to save what little of their belongings remained. The villagers were interrupted by the tolling of a bell, calling them to a town meeting.

The head man of the village, Ian McKennoth, approached the Qualinesti swashbuckler Rhiarion, the red-robed mage Mordarby and the Kagonesti shaman Darkeyes, asking them to fetch the minotaur from his hut outside of Stone Rose, in the hope he might help.

When the three heroes reached the hut, they were surprised to discover the presence of a blue-scaled draconian along with the minotaur. Swallowing their concern and seeing the possible benefits of the help of this impressive character, the heroes planned how to warn the villagers of the draconian's presence.

They headed back to Stone Rose and Rhiarion brought Ian McKennoth back to the waiting group, the minotaur allaying the head man's fears about the draconian. The head man explained that the entirety of Stone Rose's food reserves meant to feed the inhabitants until the next harvest had been stolen by the goblins in the raid. The villagers would starve unless brave heroes stepped forth to claim back the supplies from the goblins. Cue the heroes!...

[Tarinius]

I thought that the War of hte Darklance took place rather than the Summer of Chaos? Otherwise the game looks great, even if I dont fully understand the pure d20 system.

[Kendermage]

War of the Darklance
This is the setting of Kendermage’s campaign and is influenced by the alternate Krynn outlined by Dragonhelm (Trampas) in the Legends of the Twins setting companion. In this setting, the Knights of Takhisis are winning the War of the Lance and only a few valiant heroes are left to counter what appears to be unstoppable doom.

Next, the heroes of the campaign…

Nice job, except for the comment about the Dark Knight winning the WotL. Darklance takes place nearly 30 years later. It is designed to take the place of the Chaos War. Other than that. Superb.

[SimonCollins]

Nice job, except for the comment about the Dark Knight winning the WotL. Darklance takes place nearly 30 years later. It is designed to take the place of the Chaos War. Other than that. Superb.

:o Heh! Heh! That'll teach me to skim-read when my kids and wife are hassling me to get off the computer!! I'll amend the description.

[SimonCollins]

I thought that the War of hte Darklance took place rather than the Summer of Chaos? Otherwise the game looks great, even if I dont fully understand the pure d20 system.

You're right about the War of the Darklance - my bad, the original post is now amended.

Rather than me explain True 20 any more, I thought I would provide a couple of links to some useful info on True 20 for those interested:

1. An overview of the True 20 system.

2. The free True 20 Quickstart Rules

[Tarinius]

molto grazie.